Reflections on the Inside
by Red Letter
Summary: Since Naraku’s rise to power 500 years ago Kanna has been the perfect slave. Everything changes though, when he orders her to destroy the last of the resistance…and Kagura.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, which is probably lucky for the characters because most of them would end up in various asylums if I was running the show

_Please read the author's note at the end._

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**Reflections on the Inside**

**Chapter One:** A Black and White World

**Song for this chapter:** Strange and Beautiful-Aqualung

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She ran her fingers gently over the surface of the mirror, feeling pictures float like the errant strikes of a paintbrush into her mind, clean sweeps of colour in her darkness. Images flittered in and out of the cold, etchings on coloured glass, free of sound or smell but with expressions of fear and hatred burning in every line. Blood was flowing through them as well, red trickling through every frame in a kaleidoscope of swords, claws, magic and imported weapons. 

Things were beginning to spin out of control; the terrorists were more active than they ever had been, save prior to Naraku's corruption of the jewel, and with the spreading rumours of her masters…_condition _many of his more powerful subordinates believed they saw an opportunity arising. The pictures glimmered and faded into shroud as her ears picked up the faint sound of footsteps headed towards the conference room.

Carefully Kanna tucked her white homongi under her knees, smoothing out the invisible creases she could feel crackling against her skin as she moved into a low bow. Naraku's tread drew closer, accompanied by the brisk march of the Shichi'nintai leader Bankotsu. Kanna's lip curled. Though she did not dislike the youngest member of the assassination squad personally, wherever he went his obnoxious companion, Jakotsu, followed. He disturbed her quiet with his exuberant movements, twisting the air currents unnecessarily and making it difficult to 'see', also the man covered himself in paint and perfumes, making it impossible to discern his emotions when she couldn't catch the saline scent of fear or the metallic rising of blood to the face resulting from embarrassment or anger.

The demoness had changed in the centuries since Naraku had completed the shikon jewel. Many things had changed, some to her liking and some which were…more unwelcome than unexpected. Her sister had fled; after Kanna's metamorphosis Kagura had been unable to cling to that last shred of sisterly love which had bound them to each other and had escaped with the Western Lord into the underground resistance which had emerged under Naraku's rule. Most of her original siblings were dead now, on Naraku's orders or slaughtered by the little acts of terrorism the old world survivors committed to reassure themselves that they were still fighting, and she disliked the new shell like beings which her master carved from magic and mountain air, or at least, she disliked them as much as she ever disliked anything. Left of the incarnations were Jakotsu and Bankotsu, preserved after the completion of the shikon jewel by Naraku's magic, herself, Kagura of course and, though Naraku would adamantly deny it Kanna was convinced that Hakudoshi had somehow managed to forge an existence all of his own. That little boy was far too dangerous to have just lain down and died.

The silk screen doors opened, the sounds brushing gently against her ears. "Lord Naraku, Bankotsu." She threw her words out into a room she couldn't see and waited for a reply.

"Kanna" He knelt in front of her and she felt the cool dampness of his breath on her face and heard the assassin shift uncomfortably somewhere to her left, "How are things?" He wasn't enquiring after her health; the very idea was laughable except…she didn't laugh. Kanna did not find things funny or hurtful or upsetting. When Kagura had left her it was true, she had experienced a curious little ache at the back of her throat but that had left quickly when she focused on other things and she had never done the strange eyewater phenomenon save when she had dust in her blindfold.

"The sea people near Mito have angered the nekoyoukai in the east and drowned a demon child in response to the rape of three village women. The youkai are attempting to contact their western brethren in order to slaughter the community there. Lord Sushiko has imposed sanctions on both factions until they reconcile but felt it unnecessary to concern you with the matter." Kanna intoned, bringing up required images on the mirror that lay on the floor between them.

"Hmm…have a letter sent to Sushiko, enquiring about the state of things in his area of control. Do not mention anything of the nekoyoukai or the Mito fishermen, let him reply and then I will decide what to do with him." He said, "Anything else?"

"Crop rotation experimentation has proved successful and there is a copy of the Lord Mitorisu's farming report in the lower study. We received it this morning."

"Excellent, at least that western captain was at least some use, or at least what we could decipher from his screams, yes Kanna?" His tone was a little off, as if testing for something.

"Yes my Lord." Kanna carefully shut away the memories of that screaming young man and his ashen, strange shaped face, they made her a little uncomfortable but mostly it was simply not the time to dwell on them.

Minutes passed in silence before he sharply broke the air with a bark of laughter, "You really are loyal, aren't you Kanna." He said, almost merrily and whirled around, seizing her blindfold but not pulling it away from her face.

"Of course Lord Naraku, you are my master." She did not flinch, did not move away but stayed kneeling and allow him to push and pull her head back and forth, side to side, using the material as leverage. She wondered, as her head lolled helplessly, what could have sparked this latest outburst of insanity; though Naraku's paranoia _had_ been escalating ever since a western battle ship had penetrated the magical barrier two years ago.

Everything possible had been done to ensure that Japan was never penetrated by other cultures; access to the country by western traders was prevented by a massive magical barrier courtesy of the shikon which surrounded the whole of the main island and there were smaller demonically induced barricades surrounding Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Sea spirits were expected to make the coastlines impossible to traverse and calling up storms and gales if a ship came in sight and a new ring of mountains from Aomori to Kanazawa had been raised up by the bear and earth demons. Travel to the outside world was absolutely forbidden and any attempts were seen as acts of treason, with the appropriate punishments.

His grip tightened and she was flung to the floor, prostrate at his feet, "Do you remember how hurt I was when your sister left me for that western dog?" Kanna nodded silently, listening to the half mocking tones of someone who might actually mean what they said, "You do?" One of his fingers curled beneath her chin, raising her head and then brushing along her jaw, "You are faithful to me aren't you Kanna, you always place my desires above other's?" She nodded again, feeling his hand gently touch the silken blindfold which hid her eyes then retreat again.

"Good." He stood and headed for the door, "I'll leave the rest to you then Bankotsu." With that her master left.

Kanna didn't bother with confusion, instead laying out each of his actions before her, listening to Bankotsu's quiet breathing in the corner. Evidently Naraku had been searching for some sort of confirmation from her reactions to his touches; doubtless he had wanted to make an impression on the assassin as well, by showing the dead human his power over a monster like Kanna. The human came closer and she snapped her head around.

"What does Lord Naraku want of us?" She asked softly, knowing Bankotsu didn't like remembering that he was Naraku's slave.

"He wants to crush out the last of the resistance, he's been furious ever since they took out Sukikotsu." She almost missed the hitch in his voice as he spoke of his lost comrade, but responding to it, she allowed her presence to fade even further into the background, listening. It was useful; the ability to make people forget she was there-invisibility has many different forms. Evidently Naraku wasn't the only one angry.

But…fighting in fury, it was dangerous and foolhardy of her master to send someone so closely involved with the situation on this sort of mission. She half listened to the angry pacing of the human which made the wooden floorboards of the conference room creak. If he lost his temper and attacked in rage, he'd be sliced to pieces no matter what; one immortal was not a match for the whole of the resistance.

"I'm supposed to pretend to try and kill them." Kanna made no answer, "Me and Jakotsu will attack them a fortnight from now, on the new moon-we'll go for Kagura, you protect her and supposedly they'll welcome you with open arms." She could sense him staring at her, searching for a reaction to the news. Sighing, she rose.

"Would you send me the details in the morning; I'd like to look over a written copy to find out how much information we have. Then we can have a briefing with Jakotsu in the evening." Her head hurt and she needed to work out what Naraku wasn't saying, besides it was too late to deal with the effeminate older Shichi'nintai member's antics. The young woman pulled open the screen door and left to her own apartments.

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**A/N:** Right this is the very beginning of a saga I have in mind, so if you'd like the next bit please review! My chapters won't have set lengths, so some'll be really short and some very long, depending on where I think the best stopping point is. The description in this paragraph is very detailed as it was from Kanna's sort of POV and she paints pictures for herself with words. You'll find out more about her transformation in the next couple of chapters! The world is our period, but because of Naraku's rule things are very different and Japan is still completely isolated. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction-by definition I don't own Inuyasha.

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**Reflections on the Inside**

**Chapter Two:** Other worlds and Other Times…and Idiots with No Sense of Decorum.

**Song for this chapter:** Fields of Innocence-Evanescence (I know this is quite inappropriate but I was listening and figured-what the hey. If anyone has any ideas please say and I'll edit)

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Kanna and Bankotsu sat in the Shichi'nintai rooms, waiting for Jakotsu to arrive. Bankotsu watched the morning light spill into the room through the new glass panes the older assassin had insisted on for their rooms in the palace. The sunshine lit everything up a dull red, and made the robes of the white young woman opposite him look as if they'd been stained scarlet. Kanna was scary, he'd readily admit it. Of all the 'children' of Naraku it was she had always been the one he'd found most frightening, especially since-well, since she'd stopped looking like a dead eight year old kid. The other incarnations, it was true they could kill a man, rip him to shreds or torture him but Bankotsu had never been afraid of death or pain, but Kanna... 

Some people called her a devil. They weren't right but it'd be better if they were.

She was nothing.

He clasped his hand tighter around his halberd and tried to avoid looking at those blindfolded eyes but the more he turned away, the harder it was to ignore the blurred figure at the corner of his vision, the girl's empty face fixed on his. For someone who was supposed to be the embodiment of absence she sure was hard to disregard. He really wished Jakotsu would hurry up.

Glancing back nervously at her again he was relieved to find she had stopped her constant watching and was brushing her fingers against an ornate mirror in her lap. Curiously, the polished metal didn't reflect either Kanna's face or the rest of the room behind her but showed a hundred different scenes, flashing like ripples beneath her hand. He could see explosions, men flung like dolls and the earth shattered by the force-then it changed, showing a green and yellow haze, it almost looked as if the scene were underwater, but there were men there faces a mix of terror and desperation as they choked on the green light. Bankotsu tore his eyes away from the fascinating scene, only to be met by Kanna's silk clad stare.

"What did you see?" The woman asked softly, casually…it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"What the hell was that?" He asked gruffly.

"A poison, similar to the ones your companion used to use. However this particular one was far more dangerous…and effective. It was used in a battle between the countries of one of the far continents fifty years ago. It killed thousands." Bankotsu pushed away his curiosity at such a device, knowing there would be time for asking me questions about it later. Instead he propped his halberd up and sat back, hands clasped behind his head, trying to act casual.

"Hey Kanna." He broached, "What are the countries beyond Japan like? I mean, are they completely different from here?" He asked, it was something that niggled at him from time to time and he saw no reason (apart from her damned creepiness) not to ask.

"The people are not so very different. They enjoy killing as much as we do and there wars are even more impressive than our own, though they have no magic to use."

"No magic?! Are you sure-but how is that possible?" He was interested now, the curiosity blazing in his eyes. A land that had no magic? No gods, no afterlife, no fucking reincarnation or being dragged between life and death? It sounded like a paradise to him.

"The westerners do not believe in magic. They believe in science and metal-only things they can touch and see. And most have renounced all gods but one and he is vengeful on those who attempt to challenge his power."

Bankotsu stopped himself saying it aloud but the western god sounded a whole lot like Naraku, "So, does Naraku know about you seeing beyond Japan."

"Yes, it's what he asks me to show him most often. My master finds the western lands fascinating." She waved her hand gracefully above the disc and it glowed, before coiling liquidly in the air and then diving into the hidden folds of her sleeve, "Your companion is late." Apparently the opening for discussion about what her mirror showed was closed.

"He is isn't he?" Bankotsu grinned halfheartedly. Jakotsu was always late when it came to Kanna; his teammate positively hated the eerie albino. He was probably hanging around in one of the side rooms somewhere, eavesdropping, "We may as well start without him and I'll pass on details later."

"As you wish." She replied, "We attack on the new moon it said in the report? Why so specific?"

Bankotsu was tempted to ignore the question as he didn't have an exact answer, and he certainly hadn't been given any definite information but…if they were going to be working on the same team then they should both know as much as possible, "He thinks Inuyasha's alive."

"The dog hanyou from before the completion of the shikon?"

"Yep. He thinks that's why they're all so active all of a sudden; he believes that somehow he managed to survive that last battle and that the resistance is getting its old power back and they're somehow managing to undermine the power of the shikon. Hence the weakening of the main barrier." Kanna nodded, listening to her own thoughts and the slow creak of the old puzzle pieces sliding into place.

"How could they do that though? Only spiritual magic has the ability to affect the jewel's power and we have hunters to ensure that no monks or mikos survive beyond childhood. Besides any even innate spiritual user would need formal training to damage the shikon and all the scrolls regarding those spells were destroyed with the temples."

"Hey hey, I could be wrong. All of this is just speculation: ideas from rumours I've heard about inuyoukai around Yamagata and what I've been seeing on the mainland." The silence which began to grow between them after he finished speaking was abruptly broken by Jakotsu running in, furisode flapping behind him in a whirl of blues and reds.

"You're late." Said Kanna flatly.

"Pfft! Sorry about that everyone but I had _such_ a time of things. To start with-" Jakotsu flopped down next to his team mate and ran head first into an explanation.

"I don't care."

"Well aren't you a bundle of joy today Kanna." Jakotsu sighed, "Really you ought to lighten up a little…and maybe do something with that hair, white is just soo dull. By the way" Jakotsu spun to face him, "I didn't hear you mention Inuyasha by any chance did I aniki?"

So that was why he'd decided to come to the meeting then, Bankotsu shook his head in disbelief. Jakotsu's passion for the bad-tempered hanyou hadn't waned in five centuries and the mere mention of him was still enough to send Jakotsu running for the nearest mirror.

"Yes you did, but it's only a guess-"

"Eeeeeeeeeh! How's my hair? My eyeliner? Does this obi make me look frumpy? It does doesn't it? Oh gods and fat too! Quickly Kanna make that mirror of yours come out." The temperature in the room plummeted; if you wanted a reaction out of Kanna, comment on her mirror.

"Be quiet." Was the quiet response, even more lacking in expression than normal, it made Bankotsu pale a little but Jakotsu went right on worrying-though silently.

"Quit your fidgeting Jakotsu, we need to sort out our plan of attack."

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**A/N:** I hope the period is more obvious for everyone now and maybe give some hints! The action will start properly in the next chapter but these first two I thought were needed to give people a better idea of timing and characters. I have a little plea now, can the people who read this story please review! Even just to give some constructive criticism if you don't like it (actually that stuff's great even if you do like it) 'cause I've got a lot of hits but only one lovely reviewer (thanks so much Ryo-Truesdale!). 


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